Milestones
by Crazy Girl Person
Summary: Just as certain as Derek and Angie will encounter obstacles in life, they will overcome them, together.


Milestones

A/N: Just a forewarning, this is a long one. Over 13,000 words long. Heh, enjoy . . .

Milestones

The early morning sky was clean and lightly splashed with color from the rising sun. In spite of the hour, Angeles Bay's city park was decently populated with joggers and dog walkers, as many people found this place as a perfect way to witness the start of a new day. It was not a strange sight by any means even for a Saturday morning. Though this day did present something a bit unusual to those passing by, causing most of them to do a double take or even stop briefly to make certain they were not seeing things.

After all, it was not everyday one would see a fully uninformed doctor and nurse sitting together under a tree. It was even stranger to see the nurse sitting in the doctor's lap with his arms wrapped lovingly around her body. Stranger still to see the doctor slip a tender kiss on the nurse's cheek, to which she sighed contently and leaned against his chest.

But Derek and Angie did just that in bold defiance of the glances they received, assuming they even noticed and, even less likely, cared.

"I could fall asleep right here. . . " Angie mumbled and broke into a drowsy grin as Derek laughed. Often times he was the one threatening to fall asleep, but considering the two had just completed a grueling graveyard shift he was willing to forgive her.

Teasings – however – she would not be spared from.

"You better not. It's your turn to buy breakfast." he said, laughing and hugging her tighter as she squirmed and groaned.

"No fair! You get to have coffee and I can't!" she whined but still found herself laughing through it.

"Well, _Nurse Stiles_," Derek said, grinning as he enunciated each syllable. "You know how caffeine will affect the . . ."

"Yes, _Dr. Stiles_, I know, but are you aware of the affects my lack of caffeine will have on your face?"

Derek laughed, enticing a giggle from her as he squeezed her tighter and kissed her neck. "Touchy, are we?"

"Tired!" she groaned. "I just want to go to sleep."

"I know, me too. But we're not going to sleep before we eat. . ."

"Mmmm . . . whhhyyy?"

Derek laughed even harder at his wife's reaction. She usually found herself on the receiving end of his nonstop grumbling and he could not help but chuckle at the role reversal, and at about how adorable she was when she whined. "Well, first of all, there's no way you're weaseling out of buying me breakfast."

She scoffed, smacking him lightly as they both laughed. "And second of all, I'm starving and I bet you girls are too . . ."

His voice trailed off as he said that. He moved his hand down Angie's stomach, stopping just below her navel, and stroked it gently. She sighed softly, looking down at his hand as she placed her fingers over his. Her drowsy eyes blinked as she smiled and blushed lightly. "How can you be so sure it's a girl?"

"I just know. Fatherly instincts I guess."

"And what if it's a boy? Would you be disappointed?"

"Absolutely not. A son would be wonderful . . ." his voice hushed to a whisper, growing warm on her cheek as he kissed it again. "But we're having a daughter."

"If you say so . . ."

They broke into soft chuckles which quickly bubbled off as Derek's fingers rose and pressed gently against her chin. Turning her head towards him, the two indulged in the kiss as their lips met. They pulled back slowly, taking in one another's eyes as Derek tenderly brushed her bangs back.

"She'll have your eyes . . ." he whispered, gently cupping her cheek.

"Really?" she arched a brow. "I was kind of hoping it would be a mix of ours."

"No, she'll have your eyes." Derek repeated as he smiled. "They're so beautiful . . . it's perfect."

"Oh Honey, you're so cheesy!" she sighed but giggled in spite of herself.

"What?" Derek laughed. "Your eyes _are_ beautiful!"

"And _you_ are cheesy!" she said, curling up in his hold as she turned to face him. "Sweet . . . but cheesy."

"Fine, fine, I'm cheesy." Derek chuckled. "But our daughter's going to be as pretty as her mommy."

"Well then, we'll have to make sure we have a son as handsome as his daddy . . ."

"Now who's being cheesy?"

Though she joined in her husband's laughter at his teasing, she was not at all hesitant to silence him with a kiss. Likewise, he did not protest and welcomed it fully. They lapped up the flavor of one another's tongues as they deepened the kiss. By this time, if they had their eyes open, they may have noticed that all park patrons in sight were now gaping at them, though they would not have cared much regardless. All that was on their minds were the warmth of one another and the sign of their love growing in Angie's belly, but another thought came to mind as they slowly pulled back and shared a fluttered blink.

"C'mon, let's go get breakfast." Derek said. "All that talk about cheese made me hungry."

Angie lightly slapped him on the head, laughing even as she rolled her eyes. He grinned and chuckled while he rubbed his head, allowing her to get in a few more giggles before he scooped her up in his arms and rose to his feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lightly hugged him, both of them well aware of the stares they were receiving at this time. She smirked at the disapproving glance of a couple walking their dog and nuzzled her head to his chest to spite them. Derek laughed as their narrowed eyes widened, hugging her tightly as he carried the two . . . the _three _of them out of the park.

--

The patrons of the local diner had also gotten an eyeful of the doctor and nurse's taboo relationship. It would be a lie if they said it had not left them uncomfortable at first. Their first impromptu outing for coffee together while still in their work uniforms had made it clear what some people thought of two medical professionals spending as much as a casual moment together, let alone a romantic one. Though just about everyone spared them a glance, most of them were just curious or surprised and did not think much else of it. A few, however, were down right critical and let their opinion be known through icy stares or not-so-subtle whispers.

This was hardly an obstacle in terms of their relationship as Derek and Angie both dressed nicely for their dates. But during the times in which their workload increased and time was scarce, running home to dress was not always an option. Long before their marriage the two had learned to tune out the criticism and simply enjoy one another's company. After all, there was no reason for them to forgo a nice dinner or movie together just because a few snobbish people did not like it. Bystanders be damned, they enjoyed their breakfast, the ignorant grumbles just a few tables down powerless to stop them.

Like a gentleman, Derek had forgone his coffee for his pregnant wife's sake and settled for orange juice. Though when they had returned home, the price for his chivalry became evident as he groggily shuffled up the stairs. Angie allowed him to lean some of his weight on her, sighing to herself as she wondered if the man could last more than a day without coffee. _'Clearly not.'_ she giggled, taking the keys from him as he fumbled with the lock. Perhaps it was for the best as they both had the same destination in mind upon entering their apartment.

Bed. Sweet, pillowy, soft warm bed.

"Race you to the bed," Angie smirked at her drowsy husband. Derek returned her smile as he stood fully from her support, swaying a bit on his feet. "Okay." he grinned and instantly picked her up, leaving her to give a short yell of surprise at his quick revival. He pushed the door closed with his foot, turning briefly to lock it before trotting off to their bedroom. Angie ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, teasingly refusing to let go when he set her on the mattress, but her snug grip around his neck could not hold up to the tickle he gave her. She flailed in a short fit of giggles and glared up at him as he smirked. "I win." he grinned, to which Angie rolled her eyes.

"Cheater."

"I try." He gave her another quick tickle on her ribs as he grabbed her ankle and removed her shoes. Angie laid still, watching as he pulled up the blanket and moved closer to tuck her in. She waited as he loosely draped the sheet over her before rapidly poking him in the side, causing him to twitch and laugh.

"H-hey! Angie! Don't!" he gasped as she stat up. Blanket now crumpled in her lap, she moved in with a devilish grin and increased the ferocity of her tickle attack. "Quit it!" Derek yelled and grabbed her wrists, grinning as he caught his breath. Angie was laughing as well, putting on her best angelic face as he gave her a playful glare. "I _was_ going to give you a kiss, but if you're going to be like that . . ."

"Aw," she pouted. "But you started it!"

"No, you did. It was the only way I could get you to let go." His chuckles returned as her pout deepened and he knew he could not resist her puppy eyes if he wanted to. He pulled her in by her hands, kissing her quickly on the lips before pecking her forehead. "Okay, no more tickles now, right?"

"Oh, all right . . ."

She laid back down and he gave her hands a squeeze before releasing them. He placed the blanket back over her, casually slapping away the lazy (yet persistent) hand that reached for his ribs. "I said no more tickling!"

"I'm not!" she smirked which earned her a scoff from her husband.

"Fine, tuck yourself in, you brat."

"Hey!"

Derek chuckled as he dropped the blanket on her, dashing to the other side of the bed and kicking his shoes off in the process. Tossing his glasses on the side table, he all but dove under the sheets and got a second startled yell from his wife when he grabbed and hugged her to his chest. He came down on her neck with a gentle bite, earning a third shriek as she cringed. "I thought you said no more tickling!"

"Sorry, did that tickle?"

"Yes, a little."

"Aw, poor Ang." He planted as kiss where he had bitten, leading a trail up to her temple. He heard a content sigh poor from her and he smiled, brushing his fingers through her hair. "You so owe me a massage for that."

"For biting me? Right, I'll keep that in mind."

After a brief round of light punching, the two snuggled into one another's embrace, yawning contently. "Good nigh, Derek. I love you." Angie said as another yawn trailed her breath. "I love you too, g'night." Derek whispered, his hand stroking her stomach until his fingers rested just below her navel. "And good night to you too."

Angie laughed, her husband joining in her chuckles as the two drifted off to sleep.

--

Angie blinked heavily as consciousness returned to her. She lifted her head with a content sigh, smiling as she saw her husband's hand draped over her and felt his soft breathing on her neck. She instantly settled back down and took in the feel of his warmth against her back as she cuddled further into him. It was a short lived lapse into relaxation, as the late afternoon sun spilling through the windows drew her curiosity to the time. She craned her neck slightly towards her night stand.

Only a few minutes after 4pm . . . perfect. She and Derek did not have to go back in for the night shift for another six hours. More than enough time for her to lie in bed with him until he woke up. With a small yawn she settled back down and scooted herself back into his arms. She closed her eyes, smiling as she felt his fingers tenderly run over her stomach as he shifted in his slumber.

Even in sleep the man seemed obsessed with coddling their unborn baby. It made her bouts of morning sickness and other pregnancy pains much more bearable, knowing that she would have not only the birth of her first child to look forward to, but knowing that her husband would make an adorable father as well. The more nagging part of her feared he would spoil their baby, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. It would take nothing more than a stern glare to set him straight anyhow.

She laughed quietly through her pursed lips at the thought. She should have known during the last few hours before he found out she was pregnant what kind of father he would be. She was a fool for having any doubt . . . .

Her smile dipped slightly. She had expected that day to be an emotional coaster and it had not disappointed in that aspect. There were some uncomfortable moments that accompanied it, also another expectation, though the same could not be said for the events that strung everything together. She gave a light hearted chide. With Derek, it was best to toss the whole concept of "normal" aside, and she would not have that any other way.

Indulging that thought, she welcomed the pull of her mind back to that night, when their lives had changed forever.

--

"Are you ready?"

"Almost!" Angie called from their bedroom. She took in her appearance in the mirror before her as she finished tying her hair back. Brushing her fingers through the strands that remained loose, she nodded to herself in approval and reached into her jewelry box. Derek had gotten her a pair of the most gorgeous earrings for her birthday a few years back; silver with a light pink gem stone in the center that he had said reminded him of her the second he saw them. _"And they look fantastic on you."_ he had added, and as Angie observed herself putting them on, she could not help but agree.

She paused for a brief moment and her smile deepened as she saw something else in her reflection.

Even though it had been nearly as year since they were married, she could not help but smile when she caught glimpse of her wedding ring in the mirror. She finished putting in the earrings and looked at her left hand. Gently she stroked the ring, biting her lip as she placed a hand on her stomach. The butterflies she had felt since that morning refused to settle and their raving flutters only grew more savage as she looked over to a rectangular box beside her purse. Her heart skipped nervously. Part of her knew she had nothing to worry about. This was Derek, her husband, the man she loved and who returned her love fully. Yet part of her . . .

She sighed, placing the box in a side pocket of her purse and giving herself one last glance in the mirror. She took a deep breath and nodded to herself. "It'll be fine." she said firmly.

With that, she took her purse and walked out to the living room. Derek was casually propped against the wall as he waited for her and they both smiled upon seeing one another. His unruly hair had decided to have some courtesy for the evening and conceded to his combing, though a few renegade strands maintained their defiance and stuck out. If they had been attempting to offset his appearance they had failed miserably as the few messy locks only made it more endearing. Not a thing that reminded her of her husband could make her frown. It only reassured her that the handsome man, adorned in a clean pressed dark grey suit and light undershirt, was indeed her Derek and she did not have to feel guilty about the longing pound of her heart.

Judging by the grin that broke his face, the feeling was mutual, and Derek wasted little time in pushing himself from the wall and closing the distance between them. He gently grabbed her arms and took in the sight of her. Her scarlet dress added a hint of elegance to her natural beauty and he could not keep himself from kissing her if he tried. He sighed contently at the feel of her soft lips against his and massaged her arms with his thumbs as he pulled back.

"You look great!" he said, earning a short laugh from her.

"Thank you, so do you."

He nodded to her before letting up on his gentle grip and extending his hand. "Shall we?" She slipped her arm around his, their fingers interlocking as she rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled and led the two of them from their apartment.

--

Bista's Italian Restaurant held a lot of memories for the couple. Aside from being one of the first places he had taken her out to eat it was also where he had proposed to her. They went there on a few other random occasions but for the most part it was marked with milestones in their journey through life together. Though as Derek saw this evening as just another night out, Angie squirmed internally, knowing well that the restaurant was about to relive its tradition. She was able to restrain her fitfulness as the waiter walked the two of them over to their table. She just hoped that her pounding heart would not grow as loud as it felt. She gently pressed a hand to her chest as they took their seats, grasping onto the menu as though it were a lifeline when the waiter passed them out. "Can I start you both off with something to drink?" he asked, earning an instant nod from Derek.

"Yes, we'll both have a glass of Barolo."

"Oh, no wine for me tonight."

He looked over to Angie in surprise, unable to suppress the arch of his brow. "You're not drinking?"

"No. I'll just have water, please."

"All right, water for the miss and a Barolo for the gentleman. I'll have your drinks right out to you." The two gave a quick thanks to the waiter as he departed, but it was only a small break from the curious glance he gave her. "What? I just don't feel like drinking tonight." Angie said, tossing in a casual shrug of her shoulders which she hoped would distract from her death grip on the menu. It was unclear to her if it had worked, for Derek did not appear to notice, but the concerned look on his face was far from gone.

"It's just that, you always have Barolo when we come here. Is everything okay?"

"Of course. I'm over my cold but I just want to take it easy for a few days, you know?"

His face dropped the hint of worry it held as he nodded. "Okay, I understand." He gave a smile which Angie returned, somehow managing to hold back her soft breath of relief, and the two opened their menus. She instantly brought it up to her face, ducking behind it as subtly as she could. _'That . . . was a little more nerve wracking than it should have been.'_ she mentally grumbled to herself. She gave a silent groan and pressed her nose to the menu. _'Am I really going to be able to do this?'_

'_You _have_ to. He's going to find out eventually . . .'_

'_But, but what if . . .?'_

'_What if what? What if he's upset? What if he's not ready? What if he leaves you?'_

It would never happen, but she could not help but clench her eyes shut at that last thought.

'_Angie, he loves you. Just take it easy. When the time comes, you'll know what to do. Besides, how do you think he felt on the night he proposed to you?'_

She smiled to herself. Poor Derek . . . aside from his increased state of clumsiness he had held it together pretty well on the day he asked her to marry him, though there was no doubt in her mind that he was a mess on the inside. If he could handle that, she could handle this. She would have to for both of their sakes . . .

"Hm, mezzasol looks pretty good." Derek mumbled. "So does the linguine pescatore . . ." His eyes loosened from their narrowed study of the menu at the sound of a laugh. He looked up to finally notice Angie all but buried in her own menu, her shoulders bobbing in barely contained laughter. "What's so funny?"

She peered up at him and bit her lip as it quivered in a barely contained grin. "Oh Derek, you and I both know you're going to get the sirloin marsala . . . again." she laughed. "It's the same thing every time we come here. You act like you're going to try something different, but you always get the sirloin."

"Oh?" he smirked. "So says the woman that _always_ has the rigatoni chicken."

"I do not! I had the lobster ravioli when we first came here."

"Right, when we _first_ came." he said. "But every time after that-"

"Oh whatever." she said, rolling her eyes and looking back at her menu as he laughed. He returned to scanning his own, re-combing over each item and description, but not finding any alternatives to his usual that perked his interest. As much as he did not want to admit it, she was probably right, and the sirloin marsala _did_ sound good . . No, he would get something else this time if only to see her reaction to it. He chuckled to himself softly. The menu was clearly not going to help him so he left it lying open on the table, instead scoping out what the other customers had ordered to see if anything caught his interest.

And not even two seconds into his scan, something _did_. He blinked for a moment as a grin spread over his face. "Hey Angie, look who's here."

She peeked up at him from her menu before turning her gaze to where he was looking, a surprised smile sweeping her face. "Oh! Imagine seeing them here."

Several tables away from them, Greg and Cybil Kasal continued enjoying their meal and laughing amid their conversation, completely oblivious that their friends had spotted them. It was a rather refreshing sight for the overworked married couple. They were both well aware of the Kasal's bouts of burnout as of late and their young child was not making things easier for them. Though he felt most of his former mentor's pain, Derek could not help but chortle when he remembered his recent phone conversations with Greg, most of them being little more than exhausted and incoherent mumbling. "Looks like they finally have a night to themselves." Derek laughed, Angie joining in with a giggle just as the waiter appeared with their drinks and a bread basket. "Here's your Barolo sir, and water for the miss."

"Thank you." they replied in unison, taking their glasses as he readied his pen and notepad.

"Are you two ready to order?"

Derek looked over to Angie, who nodded. "Yes, I'll have . . ." he took a moment to sigh as a light blush overcame him. ". . the sirloin marsala." Angie laughed and he cast a mock glare at her, though he was smiling as well.

"And for you, miss?"

"I'll have . . . the rigatoni chicken." she grinned sheepishly. The waiter paid little heed to the couple's behavior as he scribbled down their orders, asking if they would like to add anything to it which they both declined. He took their menus and excused himself, leaving the two to their drinks and the teasings that were sure to follow.

Ever the instigator, Derek leaned forward into the table with his cheek resting in his hand, a mischievous smile on his face. Angie countered with a sigh and shake of her head as she reached for her water glass. "Grow up," she murmured, remaining locked on his stare as she brought the glass to her lips. After spending nearly four years with the man – one of those years married to him – she should have known to look away or close her eyes while taking a sip of her drink. And really, she should not have put it past him to stick his tongue out at her, leaving her coughing and laughing into her napkin, though she had to admit that it had something of an endearing nature to it.

Sort of . . .

"You are _so_ immature!" she sputtered.

Derek just laughed, shaking his head the whole while. "Hey, I'm not the one who _always_ gets the chicken when we come here."

"Okay okay! So we're both creatures of habit." she said, her coughing fit finally abating as she glared at him. "You started it!"

"Did not!"

Now launched into something of a laughing fit, the two did their best to retain some composure. To their credit they had only attracted a few glances as their chuckles died down. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?" Angie asked, to which Derek just grinned and shrugged. She giggled again, watching as he rose to his feet.

"I'm going to go to the restroom for a second. I'll be right back."

"All right."

Her eyes followed him a short distance as he made his way through the room, the crowd quickly swallowing him up from her vision. Her stare lingered on where he had disappeared for only a second as her chin came to rest against her chest, and she gently pressed her hands to her belly. "How are you doing?" she whispered and smiled. Her insides quivered against her fingers, shooting a nerve-wracking shudder through her body. "I know, I'm nervous too." she sighed, gently rubbing her stomach. "But it'll be okay. We both just need to hang in there."

Angie closed her eyes and continued to stroke her stomach affectionately. Her smile deepened and a longing sigh escaped her at the thought of the life growing inside of her, and of the man that helped her create it. Warmth pulsed from her anxiously skipping heart and she leaned her head back, a small giggle escaping her. Ever since she was a little girl she had been fantasizing about this stage in her life, but she never would have imagined things would have come to pass the way they did. Nor that her husband would be sticking his tongue out at her. She bit her lip as she laughed again. There was no doubt in his lack of maturity at times, but she could forgive him. As long as he would always be there to hold her, kiss her in a way that no other guy she had been with had managed.

She could not wait to see him as a father. He would be wonderful . . .

"Honey?"

Angie blinked her eyes open to find herself staring into those of a familiar brown shade. "Don't fall asleep before we get our food." Derek grinned, planting a kiss on her brow as he gently rubbed her shoulders. She scoffed as she lifted her head. "Well, maybe you shouldn't take so long. I almost sent in a rescue crew."

"I wasn't gone nearly that long." He brushed her hair behind her ears, giving her shoulders a final squeeze before he moved to his own chair. "I just stopped by Greg and Cybil's table for a sec to catch up."

"How are they doing?"

"Very well, all things considered. They finally found someone to watch Max while for a while. Poor guys, their kid's running them ragged!" He laughed.

Angie let out a snort at that as well. "Did – did they actually say that?" She took a breath before bringing up her water, making sure not to have it shooting up her nose again.

"No, but they were obviously worn down." he mused and took a sip of his wine. "Raising a child's got to be tough, but they seem to be pulling it off well. It's admirable, but I sure don't envy them."

The water glass in her hand hit the table with a rough thud, the clink of the ice inside sending a flare of butterflies to rebel in her stomach. "You – you don't?"

"Envy them? Oh heck no, I don't think I could handle that kind of responsibility." Derek may have sent that statement off on a thin smile, but it quickly dropped, his brows rising as he looked at his wife. "Angie?"

Ever since that morning, all she had wanted was for the fluttering in her gut to cease. Well, she got her wish, the wings of the pestering butterflies all but shattering and giving way to a sickening cold that spread through her.

'_He . . . he's not . . .'_

"Angie? What's wrong?"

She snapped from her daze and met her husband's startled gape, realizing then that her own eyes were all but bulging from her skull. She gulped back her quickened breath and looked away. The floor suddenly became interesting – a tolerable visual for the roaring heart beat in her otherwise deafened mind. "N-nothing! Nothing's wrong." she stammered, gripping her water glass tightly while her other hand clenched the trimming of her dress. "I just . . . I overheard something from another table and . . . well . . . I'd really rather not repeat it."

'_I knew it. I knew this would happen . . .'_

Her brow quivered visibly at that thought, something she was sure did not escape his gaze, but he did not comment on it. Part of her wished he would if only to ease the frigid churning within her. Yet she was glad he did not, knowing that she would have nothing to say for it.

'_He's not . . . I can't tell him . . he . .' _

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." she gave a small nod of her head. "It was just . . . rather shocking,"

"Are you sure that's all? Can you at least, look at me?"

Angie lapped back a sigh and lifted her head. She flickered her eyes to him briefly, taking note of his worry creased brow before focusing on the bread basket and plucking out a piece. "I'm sure." Her fingers fumbled mindlessly with the bread stick, sprinkling the table cloth with crumbs as she all but picked it apart.

'_He . . . he isn't ready. What should . .'_

She tossed her gaze up at him, quickly diverting it back down to the bread littered table cloth as she tried to forget the concern etched on his face.

'_What should I do?'_

She stopped the insistent picking of the bread, settling for crushing it in her palms as she clenched her fists. She could feel Derek's worried glance become more intense with the growing silence between them. She was sure that if she even had a coherent thought in her mind that it would have been drowned out by her mournful pounding of her heart.

'_I can't tell him . . . I . .'_

In one swift motion, she popped half of the mutilated bread in her mouth, pushing the basket to her husband with her now free hand. "Here Derek, have some bread."

Though he understood the mumbles that pushed through her full mouth, Derek could not help but sit in confusion, his eyes moving between her and the bread basket. "Uh . . . thank you . ." He took a piece in hand and studied it for several seconds before nibbling at it timidly.

--

Bista's had proven to mark a milestone that night though it was one the couple neither wanted nor expected – the first uncomfortable dinner they had since their wedding. Honestly, to say uncomfortable would be a bit of an understatement. As the two picked at their food and strained their way through a forced conversation about this and that, the fierce churning inside her left Angie twitching. Likewise, Derek spent most of dinner pushing his food on his plate, this mind fretting as to what could have caused her to act so tense and, even worse, _knowing_ that it was something he said.

There was something of an unspoken agreement between them to head to the boardwalk and try to walk off the tension. The restaurant was right off the Angeles Bay pier. They had been there in the best and worst of times, relaxing or trying to find the upside in a bad situation. Now though, neither one felt as much as an inch of relief from their shared place of haven. A brisk wind washed over their bodies and Angie shivered, her tremors pushed further by her nerves. Derek wrapped his arms around her and pressed her body to his chest to warm her. She smiled at that, his sweet gestures had an uncanny way of touching her and reminding her of the lovable geek she had married. But it also left a bittersweet ache in her heart, knowing she had to keep this from him.

"You've been acting strange for most of the night. Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

She sighed inwardly, knowing it was only a matter of time before Derek spoke up. "I told you. I just overheard something unpleasant at dinner and . . ."

"Angie." He stopped, forcing her to do the same as he held her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her. "I may be a bit dense but I'm not that stupid. Something _really_ upset you back there." His eyes tensed and he pursed his lips, sighing as he continued. "It was me, wasn't it? I said something stupid and hurt you, didn't I?"

"Oh no, it's not you. You didn't do anything wrong . . ." she mumbled. She lowered her head to the side, her gaze diverted until Derek took her chin in hand and tilted it back up to face him. "Let's go have a seat over there." He directed her to a bench facing the dark ocean, still holding her snuggly as he walked her towards it. Angie stared out blankly as she plopped down, Derek resting an arm around her and pulling her to him until her head rested on his shoulder. "It was because I said I wasn't ready for children." He said as a matter of fact. "Please, be honest with me. Is that why you've been so quiet since dinner?"

She remained silent at that, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt a mild prick in them. She had hoped her lids would be able to hold back the moisture pooling behind them. To her dismay, no sooner had she felt a warm leak from her eye did she feel Derek's finger gently brush it away. "Hey, hey." he whispered and gently pushed her face back to look at him. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and rested his forehead against hers. "Listen, I _do_ want to have children. I really do. Just, give me a few years. I'll be ready then, I promise."

"A few years?" she whispered, disappointment heavily saturating her breath but scarcely audible to her own ears. Her fingers ran over her belly and she clenched her dress in a fist, biting her lip as she cast a glare out to the sea. _'See? I told you this would happen! I knew he'd be upset!'_

'_Shut up. He's not upset . . . he doesn't even know . . .'_

'_He will be when he finds out . . .'_

A strained groan escaped her as she narrowed her eyes, leaving Derek to blink in confusion. "Angie? You're mad at me, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not mad at you."

'_I'm mad at these stupid voices that won't shut the hell up!'_

'_Well you should be! He's being a jerk!'_

'_No he's not! He doesn't even know!'_

Another frustrated groan pushed from her as she cringed.

"Angie?"

'_Well you can't tell him _now_! He'll be mad.'_

'_You don't know that for sure. He only said he wasn't ready . . .'_

'_Yeah, because he's an insensitive-'_

'_Shut UP! His thirtieth birthday is only two months away. It's not unreasonable that he might actually want to enjoy what's left of his twenties!' _

She doubled over as another growl escaped her, pressing her hands the sides of her head.

"Angie?! What's wrong!?"

'_What about _your_ twenties? At least he got more than half of his!'_

'_I'm not the one about to turn thirty!'_

'_Stop trying to justify his self-centeredness!'_

'_What self-centeredness? He hasn't even _done_ anything! He doesn't even know!'_

'_SHUT UP! EVERYBODY SHUT UP!!'_

The choir in her head silenced as she gritted her teeth. Derek's voice on the other hand only grew more alarmed. "Are you alright? Are you in pain? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine, Derek. I'm just . . ."

Her voice tapered off, leaving her brow to crease as she tried to sweep through her muddled thoughts. Derek leaned over her, visibly worried as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

'_Angie . . . you have to tell him something.'_

Her fingers all but clawed at her temples. Nothing came of her desperate scrapes of her skull. "Angie?" he whispered, leaning even closer to her.

'_Say something . . . just . . say anything . .'_

"Derek," she placed her hand on the one that rested on her shoulder. "Let's . . ." she took in a breath.

"Yes?"

'_We don't have a few years, Derek. But maybe . . . if I can at least give you tonight . .'_

". . . . Let's go have some fun!"

The sudden high pitched crack of her voice alone would have been enough to jolt him. But that, along with her beaming face as she shot upright sent him tumbling off the bench with a startled thud. He quickly propped himself up by his elbows, casting his perplexed stare to her. "You want . . . what?"

The corners of her mouth twitched in a threatening betrayal as she stood up, forcing a slight bounce as she approached him. _'Don't over do it now . . . just keep smiling,.'_

Relaxing her steps, she reached down for his wrists and roughly pulled him to his feet. "C'mon! Let's go!"

"Huh?! Hey, wait a sec!" He pulled his wrists from her grasp with a quick dig of his heels. He remained standing in wide eyed confusion as she allowed her strained expression to dip.

"What's wrong?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Derek said as he placed his hands on his hips. "One minute you're keeling over, cringing and now you're all jumpy and ready to drag me around the pier?"

Her arms came to wrap around her torso, as though fearing he would see the unsteady feelings churning inside. "You don't mind, do you?"

"It's not that. It just . . ."

"Oh Derek, what happened in the restaurant . . ." she took a breath, allowing her face to relax its facade. She bowed her head and approached him under the cover of her fallen bangs. Her hands reached out to gently grip his shirt, pulling herself in to rest her forehead on his shoulder. Derek wrapped his arms around her with risen brows as he looked down at her.

"Angie?"

"Just forget it." she mumbled into his chest. "It's nothing. I just want to spend time with you tonight, and for us to have fun."

He responded only with a soothing hand on her back at first, stroking her shoulders before running his fingers through her hair. "If you're sure you're okay with it . ."

"I am, and . ." she brushed back her bangs, a more modest smile appearing on her face as she looked into his eyes. "I even know what we can do."

"Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?"

Pushing herself from his arms, she gave him a quick look over, lightly grabbing the collar of his undershirt and moving her hands down to fumble with his tie. "No, no. This won't do at all."

He blinked at her. "Won't do for what?"

She undid his tie, pulling down on it until his nose was pressed firmly against hers. There was a brief pause as they stared into one another's eyes; his fluttering with confusion while hers narrowed slyly and a playful grin cut across her face. "Come back to the car and I'll show you."

--

"Toldya this place was good."

Tyler laughed as Leslie snuggled up to his arm. "Ah, c'mon. You make it sound like the last places I brought you to were bad."

She giggled lightly and lifted her head to look around the restaurant as their hostess walked them to their table. "I've been wanting to come to this place for a long time . . ." she said, satisfied to finally be there. She had heard very good things about Bista's from Angie it had not taken much coercing on her part to convince Tyler to bring them here.

"Glad you like it. Truth be told, I was planning on bringing you here for a while."

"Yeah, _sure_ you were, hon." she said, giggling as he gaped.

"No really! Derek told me about this place! How could I _not_ bring you here?!"

She lightly pressed her fingers to her lips as she laughed, shaking her head slowly. "It doesn't matter. We're here, right? And I couldn't think of a sweeter guy to be with."

"You're just trying to butter me up for dessert, aren'tcha?"

"Dessert? Mmmm! That sounds good!"

Deciding it would be in his best interest to not say anything else for the moment, he simply rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, his diverted eyes landing upon a table they passed. "Heh, looks like someone wasn't very hungry tonight."

Their hostess perked up at that and looked over to the table in question, which held two plates of barely touched food and an empty, red tinted wine glass, hinting that it was the only thing to have been fully consumed. "I'm so sorry about that. Our busboys should've taken care of that by now." she said.

"Nah, don't sweat it. No big deal." Tyler replied with a casual wave. The hostess gave a slightly uptight nod as she directed them to a table beside the unkempt one.

"I really apologize for seating you here, but there are no other available tables at the moment. I'll have someone take care of it right away . . "

"Don't worry, it's really not a big deal. At least _our_ table's clean, right?"

Leslie nodded in agreement as they both took their menus, each ordering a glass of Barolo to start with as per their friends' suggestion. She apologized again and promised to have their drinks out immediately before leaving the two to skim over their menus. "This is what I hate about upscale restaurants. Too many things sound good . ." Tyler mused, lightly pinching his chin between his thumb and index finger.

"Don't hurt yourself now, Tyler." Leslie grinned. "Or we might have to order one of everything."

"Oh you hush."

A quiet chortle washed over the two as they returned to their menus. Amid their study of the selection and murmured comments of how each one sounded, a pair of workers moved out to the table beside them and commenced with the prompt clean up. "That was quick. Guess they don't fool around here, huh?" Tyler commented.

"Guess not . . . hey! They've got Italian Wedding! Your favorite, right?"

"Well, I dunno if I'd say it's my favorite but-"

"Looks like someone left a purse here."

The two broke off at that and turned towards the other table. One of the busboys was crouched on the floor, holding back the table cloth with his hand as he pulled the forgotten belonging in question from underneath it. Rising to his feet, his coworker simply shook his head and he placed the purse on the table, the two returning to their cleaning. "Man, that sucks." Tyler said. "I guess it's lucky the employees found it instead of someone else, but whoever lost it is probably flipping out. You're not gonna leave yours here too, are ya, Les?" he smirked, though the smile ebbed when she did not respond. "Leslie?" He looked back at her and arched a brow as he found her all but staring at the purse.

"Tyler, that purse. I think . . ." her narrowed eyes widened. "I think that's Angie's!"

"Huh? That's Angie's purse?"

The nurse said nothing, instead looking at her own purse in her lap before waving an arm to the busboys. "Hey, excuse me, please." They two looked up from their cleaning, sharing a glance before turning to her. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, that purse . . . can I see the key chain on the zipper?" They shared another arched brow as he turned the purse towards her, revealing a cute kitty keychain dangling from it. "I _knew_ it! That's Angie's!"

"You know this person?"

"Yes, look." She held out her own purse. "I have the same kitty keychain. Angie got us both one as a souvenir from when they last went to Japan. Open the flap on the side. She always keeps her ID card there."

He did as instructed, unbuttoning a side pocket and peeling it back. "Angela Stiles." he said, turning towards the couple. "I take it this is your 'Angie' friend?"

"That's her all right!" Tyler said, both he and Leslie giving a brief laugh. "We can give it back to them."

"Well, we can't let you leave the restaurant with it, but you could hold onto it and call them to pick it up."

"Yeah, no prob. I was gonna call Derek anyway." he said, taking out his cell phone. "Knowing him he's probably freaking out right now."

Leslie shared a knowing giggle with him as the busboy handed her Angie's purse. Tyler dialed his friend's number, the fingers of his free hand drumming on the table top. The tempo of his impromptu percussion increased with the number of rings and eventually met an abrupt end as he was forwarded to voice mail. "Hey, Derek. It's Tyler. Angie left her purse at Bista's but we found it so no worries. Give me a call when you get this or just come by and pick it up. We'll be keeping an eye on it. Later."

He flipped his phone closed and Leslie smiled up at him. "Guess it's a good thing I decided to bring you here tonight, huh?"

"_You_ decided?" she scoffed and the two laughed, picking up their menus as their friend's purse sat under their watchful eye.

--

Angie's eyes were squeezed to intense slits. A subtle sheen of sweat coated her brow as her heart raced. She had to admit – Derek was_ good_.

Derek was really, _really_ good.

But she was not about to give up that easily. She swallowed a grunt, straining her body as she pushed herself to the limits.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She ignored his mocking voice, pursing her lips into a thin line. "Just a little more . . ."

Derek gave a satisfied grin. "Hate to do this to ya, Love." In one smooth motion, he released his stored energy, depleting her hit points and sending Seung Mina out of the ring.

"_The grueling battle ended with the victory of Kilik! Player one wins!"_

Derek smirked, fearlessly meeting his wife's sharp glare, though it was hard not to given the tight grin she wore. "Okay, I think we've established that you're the reigning Soul Caliber champion." she sighed. "But I am so going to kick your butt at Cool Gunman!"

"Sounds like a challenge!" he grinned.

Derek was more than a little surprised at her suggestion to go to the pier's all night arcade. Aside from the fact that she did not even like video games, it was not exactly the most conventional way to follow a high class dinner. They had even had to dress down for the occasion, Derek's tie and overcoat tossed carelessly into the back seat of their car while she grabbed a spare sweater from the trunk.

Truth be told, Angie was surprised by her suggestion as well. It was one of the last things she would want to do on any given day and she spent a good few minutes cursing the impulsive thought. But now that they were there, seeing Derek in his element made her feel like she had to pretend to be happy a little less. The light from the countless game machines drenched him with an almost boyish glow. Their work loads were coming in merciless waves as of late, keeping him from being able to just kick back and play video games for a long time.

His grin only grew as he spotted a machine and grabbed her wrist. "Hold on, Honey. You _have_ to play this game first!" A giggle bubbled from her as he dragged her across the game floor. She smiled as she humored him, though her tiny grin quivered as she looked up at the machine he was pulling her towards, or more specifically at the large screens mounted just above it. "Hey, this isn't one of those contests where they have eight people playing against each other, is it?"

He looked over his shoulder and gave her a reassuring grin. "Absolutely not! This is _much_ better!" He followed that statement with a laugh, giving another playful tug on her arm as he zeroed in on a free chair. She laughed again as the tug forced her to skip to keep up, her eyes first studying the gaming console, which resembled a cockpit, before she looked up at the glowing sign just above the screens. "Otomedius? Is this a space shooter or something?"

"Or something." Derek replied as he swiped his game card. With his credits accepted, he plopped into the seat and gently pulled Angie into his lap. Her shy smile deepened as she settled against him and he wrapped his arms around her, propping his chin on her shoulder and lacing his fingers through hers. "Ready?"

"Heh, okay."

He placed their hands on the joysticks as the start up menu loaded. "So, what level would be good for me to start on?" she asked.

"Leave that to me. I'll choose the settings, you can choose your character."

"You're gonna start me off on the hardest level, aren't you?"

"Aw, I wouldn't do that, would I?"

"You mi – ah!"

Angie's screech broke into giggles, her shoulders hunching as Derek suckled her neck, moving in to select the game settings while she was incapacitated and leaving her with the character select screen. He swiftly planted a kiss on her cheek when he finished, leaving her to scoff when she recovered and saw what he had done. "You jerk!"

"What? I promised I'd let you choose your character, didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah . . ." she rolled her eyes, though her brow slowly pressed upon them as she scrolled through the available characters. "Ugh, do all of the female characters have to be scantly clad with huge breasts?"

"Of course they do," he said, laughing as she groaned. "There's a male character, if you want."

"Nah, I guess I'll just play as this blue haired girl."

"Her name is Aoba Anoa." he whispered in her ear, to which she just shook her head.

"Whatever," she whispered back, briefly entertaining the idea of head butting him, her eyes closing with the small giggle that followed.

"Look alive, Ang! Here we go!"

Her laugh only grew in response to the excitement that spiced his voice. As her focus returned on the overhead screen, she could practically feel his heart pound against her back, his squeeze on her hands tightening as the level started. He _really_ did love his video games. _'What kind of a nerd did I marry?'_

Though she had to admit, once she took control and started shooting down the enemy crafts and projectiles, she could see the appeal, which quickly turned into an internal confession of fun as the level progressed. Though her frustration she was not as hesitant to conceal once the level hit a more ferocious pace. "You _did_ put this on the hardest level, didn't you?" she grunted, barely able to keep up with the fast approaching enemies and fire.

"It's only on medium. You can do it, I have faith."

"Right, only medium . . ." she growled softly, leaning forward as her grip on the controllers tightened. To her credit, she was not doing too bad and a smile even cut across her face as she mowed through a thick barrage of enemies. _'I guess this isn't so bad . . .'_

"Hey, watch out!"

Angie snapped to attention at the warning and narrowed her eyes, watching as her character was surrounded by several incoming bullets. Finding no way out of the imminent peril, she could not help but give a slight cringe and hope the hit would not leave her in too bad of a shape . . . until she felt something gently guide her right hand.

"Don't worry, Ang. I got your back."

The tight squint of her eyes loosened as Derek took over and she watched him fly his way out of the swarm of enemy fire.

"Wow, you're good." she laughed. "I take it you've played this one a few times?"

"I was _addicted_ to this game when it first came out!" he grinned. "Just try not to focus too hard. Relax, and you'll be fine."

"All right." she nodded, grinning herself as she took control. She improved almost instantly with his advice, her moves becoming smoother and more precise. Though he did have to swoop in and get her out of a few tight spots, overall she dominated the level and even dared to smirk at the boss's ominous speech upon reaching the level's end. That is until she felt her husband unlace their fingers and wrap his arms around her waist. "Derek?"

"It's all you now, Angie."

"But . . . boss fight!"

"You can do it! I believe in you." he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek for luck. "Now, go get her!"

She laughed, narrowing her eyes on the screen as she leaned forward.

--

"Oh, that was fun!" Derek grinned as the two left the arcade, the noise from the several games and machines still ringing in their ears. Regretfully, Angie's solo battle with the end level boss did not go so well. She was slaughtered to put it another way but the game ended with both wearing smiles regardless of it. He placed his hand on Angie's waist and pulled her closer to him, giving her a kiss on her temple. "Thanks for sticking that out for me, Angie. I really appreciate it."

"It was no big deal. I actually enjoyed myself."

"Good. I'll turn you into a gamer yet." he smiled as the two sat on a park bench and looked out to the sea. Light from the various buildings and boardwalk attractions left a festive sparkle on the rippling waters. Across the short gulf in the ocean a Ferris wheel turned slowly, several other colorful lights flashing at its feet. "I remember when we first went to that amusement park together." Derek said. "You screamed when we got to the top of the Ferris wheel."

"I did not! I was having fun!"

"Yeah?" he asked as he turned towards her. "How about I take you back there next week? Maybe I can make up for ruining dinner."

She sighed. "You didn't ruin it Derek."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help but think that I have. It's been on my mind all night." His voice tapered off and gave way for the ocean's timid splashes. They sat in silence, content in the whisper of the churning waters, and of one another. Angie rested her head against this shoulder and curled up beside him. A silent sigh escaped her as he hugged her close and rested his cheek atop her head. "I'll take you back to the amusement park – and you'll ride Shadow Track. . ."

"Don't hold your breath." she scoffed.

"C'mon Ang, you'll love it. Maybe as much as you loved playing Otomedius."

"I doubt that. A roller coaster in the dark doesn't sound that fun. Meh, a roller coaster in broad daylight doesn't look fun. I can't imagine one where you can't even see what's coming."

"That's the best part. All the sudden drops and corkscrews . . ."

"You're not exactly doing a good job of selling me on this." she said, to which he laughed. He lifted his head up, giving her a playful squeeze of her shoulders before getting to his feet. "I guess we should get back home now. It's getting pretty late."

"Yeah . . ."

He took her hand in his as she rose to her feet, turning to lead the both of them back to his car. He had not even made a full step before the arm which held his wife's hand tugged roughly on his shoulder. Recovering quickly from the short trip up it caused, he turned towards her and felt his questioning gaze swell into one of shock.

"Angie?"

Her feet remained frozen where she stood as her wide eyes stared into his. "My purse! It's gone!"

"What?! Do you remember if you had it with you when we went to the arcade?"

"No . . . I don't . . . I don't think I did . . but. . ." She looked frantically about, pressing a hand to her chest as her breath quickened.

"Hey, let's not panic." Derek placed his hands on her shoulders. She stopped her futile search, choosing instead to stare out to the ocean as her hands rung nervously. "I'm sorry . . . it's just that . . . it has my . . ."

"I understand." He gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "Maybe you left it in the car, but . . . let me give the restaurant a call first. We probably left it there."

"Right," she breathed, plopping back on the bench as he reached for his cell phone. Propping her elbows on her knees, an aggravated moan pushed through her teeth and she rubbed her face. _'Stupid! How could you have left it behind!? You brought it for a very specific purpose and you had to go and lose it!'_

'_Well, things _did_ get a _little _distracting at dinner . . .'_

She took in a breath and massaged her forehead. _'I probably did leave it there . . . God, I hope no one finds the-'_

"Angie."

She looked up at her husband, the relieved smile on his face causing one to spread over her own.

"Someone tried to call me while we were at the arcade and left a voice message." he explained.

"Was that the restaurant?"

"Almost." Derek grinned and snapped his cell phone shut. "It was Tyler. He and Leslie are there and they found your purse."

"Thank God . . ." she breathed. He chuckled, placing his phone back in his pocket as he held out a hand.

"Come on, let's go get it back."

--

"Mmmmm! Angie told me the rigatoni chicken was good, but wow!" Leslie cooed over her meal, adding an additional muffled squeak of delight at the flavor. Tyler laughed briefly as he stirred his soup. His girlfriend's amusement at the littlest of pleasures was something that always got him going and he did not think he would every tire of. He glanced briefly at the purse that sat upon their table. "I didn't think that Derek and Angie would be here tonight. Don't they usually save this place for special occasions?"

"Angie said she had a special surprise for him – uh oh!" Leslie fumbled slightly upon noticing Tyler's perked interest and the incriminating press of her fingers to her lips was certainly not helping her. "I mean, they come here just because every now and then . . ."

"Ah, ah, ah Leslie!" Tyler grinned. "You might as well spill it. What'd she say?"

Leslie sat rigid in her chair, ever miffed at her self for letting a secret slip again. "That's pretty much it. She just said she had a surprise for him."

"Really?"

"Honest! I was lucky to get that much out of her. She'd been so nervous for the past few days so I figured something was wrong. Turns out she was just worried about how he was going to react."

"Well, if she's nervous over something like _that_ then we know it's gotta be good! What do you think it is?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"C'mon! I know you're curious!" Tyler said, his eyes widening for a moment before he snapped his fingers. "I got it! I know what it is!"

"Yeah? What?"

Tyler's face split into a sly grin, his eyes slimming as he leaned forward. "So they both come here. Just your average married couple out for a nice dinner, right? But little does anyone suspect that something is brewing beneath that happy little fantasy. Something _dark_ . ."

"Oh geez Tyler . . ." Leslie grumbled, pressing a hand to her face.

"Wait, let me finish! I'm going somewhere with this! Now, I noticed when their table was getting cleaned up that there was only one wine glass. Well, let's say Derek had the wine and Angie had water or something, using her cold from earlier this week as an excuse not to drink. One glass turns into two, then three, then six. Combine all that alcohol with a filling meal and Derek's more or less out for the night. So Angie takes them both home and while Derek's sleeping in the living room, she goes into their bedroom to finalize her plan." Leslie rolled her eyes at that point.

"Hey, it would explain why he didn't answer his phone. But I'm getting to the best part. Derek awakens to a tap on his shoulder. He opens his eyes, his groggy blinking quickly giving way to a gasp as he takes in what he sees, for before him stands his wife dressed in black leather and -"

"Okay, that's enough." Leslie groaned.

"What? It makes perfect sense." Tyler shrugged and stirred his soup again. "Derek's one lucky man . . ."

"Tyler!"

They looked up at the call and saw Derek and Angie waving to them as they approached. They waved back, Leslie casting her boyfriend a sly sideways glance. "Well, Derek looks perfectly sober to me and Angie's not wearing leather. So much for your theory, huh?" she laughed and Tyler scoffed. He leaned back into the table with a menacing grin. "Well look at them. They're a little dressed down for having just been here and their hair looks kinda mussed to me. Hope we didn't _interrupt_ anything."

"Huh?"

Tyler choked back a gasp as he jumped, looking up to see the pair had crossed the distance a little quicker than he anticipated and were standing beside him. "N-nothing! Here's your purse!"

In his haste, Tyler had failed to notice that the zipper of the large side pocket got caught on the bread basket. Though he did not remain oblivious to it for long, as his yank of the bag sent the bread flying and the weight of the basket zipped the pocket open. He dropped it in his surprise, everything falling to the floor as a black rectangular box slipped from Angie's purse. Her eyes grew large as she watched the top fly off and spill thin wrapping paper on the floor before it landed upside down, a glitter of golden metal sticking out from underneath it. "Sorry! Sorry! I got it!" Tyler said as he crouched down and reached for the box.

"Don't touch it!" Angie yelled and swooped in to pick up the box, leaving Tyler to hold his hands up in defense amid the chunks of tissue paper that littered the floor. Her short bout of pants relaxed as she all but cradled it to her chest. _'Thank goodness . . .'_

"Is that a watch?" Derek asked.

She shot up at that, looking down and feeling her cheeks run cold as she realized the box was a little more exposed than would be good for her. Quickly hiding it under the crook of her arm, she decided to make the best of her losses, knowing that keeping anything from the curious eyes of the other doctor and nurse duo would be just short of impossible. As long as they did not see what else she was hiding . . .

She slipped the item in question from the box and turned to her husband. "I meant to give this to you earlier tonight. It's . . . an early birthday present for you."

'Two months early . . . geez make the rest of us look bad why dontcha Angie?" Tyler said, Leslie slapping him on the head lightly.

"Wow, this is great!" Derek smiled. "I've been wanted a new watch for a while. Thank you, Angie!" He kissed her on the head amid the sighs of the other pair.

"That was it? Just a watch? How anti-climatic." Tyler mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked as Tyler earned another ribbing from Leslie. Angie on the other hand was too busy gaping at the empty box in hand, shuffling through the paper in it while her face became cold with panic. _'Where is it!?'_

"Hey, there's something else here." Tyler said as he picked up the other pieces of tissue paper. Angie shot her gaze up at him, her eyes bulging as she watched him lift the item she had been looking for. "Tyler Chase! Don't you dare!"

"Huh?" He had no time to react before she tackled him, sending the two of them to the floor and the item spiraling from his fingers, where it slid on the floor until it bumped into Derek's foot. Angie looked back in horror, the icy spell in her stomach whipping again as Derek picked it up. The curious crinkle of his forehead instantly gave way to a look of near breathless surprise. He blinked rapidly, his mouth falling open as he stared intently at the object in his hand, then up to his wife. "Angie . . ." he whispered, his voice barely audible as he looked back at it.

A frigid clamp bit her insides and her fingers clawed into Tyler's arm. He and Leslie shared a worried look before turning their attention to the blonde nurse, whose own eyes were tightly clenched shut. Receiving no response from her tensed form, they looked back at Derek as he continued to stare at the item in shock, his lips fumbling wordlessly. He stopped their trembles with a timid bite on his lower lip as he brought his eyes up to the other pair. Derek took in a shaking breath and let his hand fall to his side. Finally seeing just what it was he was holding, Tyler and Leslie gasped at the pregnancy test Derek held loosely in his fingers or, more specifically, the pink plus sign on it.

"Angie . . . you're . . .she's . . ." Tyler stuttered.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!!"

The entire restaurant fell to a hush at Leslie's outburst. She was left gaping and blushing furiously at the tensed silence she had caused, though no one seemed to notice the crimson glow of her cheeks. Instead, all eyes were on the stunned surgeon as he briefly lifted the test again, taking in the positive result as he looked back at his wife.

"Angie, open you eyes. You need to look at him." Tyler whispered, hissing as her nails only dug deeper into his arm. The flutters in her gut had long since been replaced with acidic bubbling and it grew hotter with each pound of her heart. Yet somehow, she managed to pry her eyes open and bring them up to those of her husband. Green and brown met in a silent stare; one whispering pleas while the other was awash in astonishment. Minutes bled by slowly as the two shared only blinks and light breathes between one another.

Leslie had appeared at Angie's side during the tense stand off, she and Tyler helping the blonde nurse to her feet, but the quiet continued unbroken for several minutes more.

"Angie."

The soft whisper pricked a startle from all who heard it. Even Derek was taken aback by the noise his tongue rolled out. Though now that he had spoken he found the second breath he took _slightly_ easier than the first, but his throat still strained to push out what he said next. "Are you . . . really . . . . pregnant?"

Tyler gave a second grunt as Angie's fingers clenched harder. Her tooth sunken lip quivered as she willed herself to nod, her eyes squeezing shut tightly as she did so. The tension returned, accompanied by a shuffle of the carpet as Derek shifted on his feet. The sound quickly melded to rapidly approaching steps and before she knew it, Angie found herself pressed against his body. Her eyes shot open as his cheek gently stroked hers and his arms encircled her shoulders snuggly.

"You're pregnant."

His whisper tickled her neck and his tone soothed her worried ear. There was no malice in his voice, no strain, no displeasure . . . but it was carried on a breath so thin it could not fully cast aware her uncertainty. She wished she could see his face, hoping that it would carry something other than paralyzing shock. Derek's arms loosened around her and he pulled his head back to look in her eyes, though the expression that greeted them only stirred the acidic churning in her stomach.

Tyler grit his teeth to keep back the pain shooting through his arm as Angie's nails cut even further. He paid little mind to it otherwise, as he did not know what to make of the saddened look in his best friend's eyes. Derek, of all people, would not be unhappy about something like this. He _could not_ be . . .

Angie did not have to look at the frown on his face for long. The threatening tears that pricked her eyes pooled up swiftly, her eyes closing as she felt them spill over to her cheeks. No sooner had they started to run did she feel them being tenderly brushed away.

"So this is why . . . Oh God, Angie . . . I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm . . . I'm such an idiot."

Her eyes blinked open at his pained mumble just as Derek rested his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry . . ." he whispered again. "I never meant to hurt you or make you go through that . . . I should've known . . . I . . ."

"You hate me don't you?"

"Hate you?" Derek reared his head back and gaped at her in surprise. His eyes gave two perplexed blinks before a fit of broken chuckles overcame him, his mouth splitting into a generous grin. "Hate you? Ang, you're . . . " He now held both sides of her face gently, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. " . . you're _pregnant_!"

The flutter of her eyes quickly cleared up the tears. She wanted to make sure the elated pitch of his voice was real, that the joy on his face was not a cruel distortion from the salty water. Her hand rubbed her eyes dry impatiently and with one final blink, she felt her own mouth curve happily. She did not mind terribly at the brief glimpse of his expression she had, for the fierce passion behind the press of his lips against hers said more than his face ever could. She finally released her grip on Tyler's arm, much to the blond surgeon's relief she was certain, but she had only done it for the more selfish desire throwing her arms around his neck.

A ripple of 'aws' and clapping for the pair spread through the restaurant, of which they were vaguely aware, but their main concern was getting enough of each other as possible. To Derek, that seemed near impossible, as each tender suckle of her lips only made him want more. Angie giggled as she felt his desperation and invited his tongue for a sensual dance. They drank in one another, their embrace growing tighter until they felt the other's heart pounding against their chests. Finally, they were forced to relinquish their kiss for the sake of oxygen and settled for staring nose to nose, occasional chortles of joy breaking through their breathless pants.

"Geez you guys! Get a _room_ already!" Tyler joked. Leslie spared her boyfriend another jab to his side as she clasped her hands in front of her, hopping on the balls of her feet with delight for her friends. The couple gave him a narrowed glare though their smiles removed any posed threat. Still, Tyler offered his hands up in defense, his grin nearly matching theirs as he shook his head. "All joking aside, congrats. Seriously, I've never been happier for you, dude."

He stepped forward, prying his friend from his wife to give him rough hug and pat on the back, leaving Angie open for the embrace Leslie all but clobbered her with. "I can't believe you're _pregnant_!" she squealed, drawing a laugh from both women at her response and Angie returned her friend's hug.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we stayed for dessert."

The four looked up at the chuckling voice and were met with the ever composed Greg and Cybil Kasal. For the sake of the news they just heard, they allowed their eyes to express _almost_ every bit of joy they felt, their cool gazes having a distinct warmth to them as they approached the newly announced parents-to-be. Greg slapped a hand on his former student's shoulder. "Congratulations, Derek. You'll be as good a father as you are a doctor. I know it."

"Th-thank you, Greg . . ." Derek stammered. "It's pretty overwhelming, but . ."

"Heh, you'll see!" The elder surgeon gave a knowing shake of his head at that. "Soon you'll know the joys of the perpetual sleep deprived state that is fatherhood." A deep laugh escaped him at that, followed by a more nervous chuckle from Derek. Greg cleared his throat in response and gave him a more serious look. "But honestly, it's worth it. You'll see that too."

"Yeah . . . I know." Derek looked over to his wife and took her hand, gently pulling her towards him. Leslie released the insistent hug she had entrapped Angie in to allow her into her husband's arms. He smiled as he looked into her eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close to him and lightly pressed a hand against her stomach.

He pushed into her cheek with a soft peck and felt her subtle blush heat up against his lips. His own cheeks burned as he and his love took in a deep, longing sigh. "You're safe from having to ride Shadow Track for now," he whispered, earning an eye roll from his sighing wife. " . .but once she's born . . ."

Angie arched a brow at him. "Huh, what makes you think it's a gir-mmmph!"

Derek's abrupt kiss cut her off and she may have been annoyed with him, if she had not been just as longing to welcome the taste of him on her lips.

--

The memories of that night were intoxicating, causing her heart to pound longingly for the man who embraced her. Angie somehow contained her desire to roll over and squeeze him as tightly as she could. She could settle for just being beside him and feeling his slumbering breaths on her neck. A small hiccup escaped her as something tickled her stomach and she looked down, giggling as his fingers gently brushed her skin. She took his hand in hers, pressing it to her lips as she stroked his knuckles with her thumb.

A groggy twitch came to his fingers no sooner than she had finished planting his hand with a second kiss. Derek stirred, drowsily pressing his fingers against her face and tilting it towards him. She smiled and rolled over into his embrace. "It's about time you woke up." Angie said, ending that statement with a bitten lip.

Bed head had a tendency to attack Derek without mercy. Though as often as it happened, it never failed to make her laugh, seeing his hair stick out in every which way along with the groggy blinks of his eyes. "Mmm . . . mornin' . . ." he slurred, smacking his tongue slightly as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Afternoon, dear."

"Whatever . . ." He stretched his arms over his head, bringing them down to encircle his wife as she also sat up. "Sleep well?"

"I did." she smiled. "You?"

"Next to you? Always." He pulled her in closer and propped his chin on her shoulder, pressing their faces side by side. The hand she had been tenderly kissing came to rest over her belly. "And how did our little one sleep?"

"It-"

"She."

"_She_ slept fine . . ." she rolled her eyes as she humored his insistence over their child's gender, but smiled when she earned a kiss from him. She soon gave in to giggles as Derek's other hand brushing her stomach and he softly began cooing over their baby. Angie held a hand to her forehead as her laughter deepened to near gasps. "Honestly, Derek, I'm not even in my second trimester yet."

"So? Why do I have to wait to start bonding with our daughter?"

She could only shake her head as her husband insistently continued murmuring and stroking her belly. "You're going to spoil our child, aren't you?"

"Spoil? No, no, I'm not going to _spoil_ her." he grinned. "I'm just going to turn her into a gamer." He scooted himself up slightly, leaning over her shoulder to move closer to her stomach. "Then maybe you'll do better than your mommy did at the third boss of Otomedius -"

And as Angie swung her pillow into his face, she could not help but feel _slightly_ bad as he fell back onto their bed. But, only slightly . . .

--

The late evening found the two exiting their apartment, fully uniformed and hand in hand as they walked towards the stairwell. Their departures for work had a tendency to attract the unsavory attention of their batty old neighbor. Like always, she threw her door open to scowl at them as they walked by and, like always, they smiled and waved, getting in a quick snuggle as it appeared her rising blood pressure could take it. Her grunt spat through the otherwise empty hallway and she slammed her door, leaving the two to laugh.

"I can't wait to see her face when you start to show." Derek chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know . . . her heart may not be able to take it." She reasoned despite the mischievous smile on her face.

"You're probably right, but there's all the other crazies to look forward to, assuming we don't send _them_ into cardiac failure too."

They shared a scoff as they reached the stairwell and began their descent. People like their neighbor were going to make the upcoming months difficult for them, of that much the couple was certain. Well, as far as the Stiles' were concerned, they were welcome to try. The unease and public humiliation that it started out as soon became something of a comfort. For if those people hated them simply for being working professionals in love, then they had to have been doing something right.

--

A/N: Final word count: 13,589

Ugh . . . I know what you're thinking. "Over 13,000 words and all we get is this dribble!?"

Yeah, well . . . yur mom!

Okay, so this was my entry for TCGeek's DxA fluff contest and I don't think I'm going to win. Oh well, it's her birthday so as long as she enjoys it and destroys the Eastern seaboard with her squees, I'm happy. And now, I am not going to write anything for at least a week. Seriously, this was a marathon and I need to recover . . . bleh . . .

Sorry the _Otomedius_ scene was lacking a bit, but I'd never played it and the only thing I could think of when I wrote the scene was of how badly I wanted to play _Sexy Parodius_ again. Oh yeah, and I know the _Otomedius_ character select screen is on a touch screen, but that would've just opened a Pandora's Box so to speak . . . so I just decided to go without it. Trust me, it's better this way . . .

Max is TCGeek's character – used with permission.


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